If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. PLEASE NOTE: We use an aggressive anti spam filter! If you have trouble registering please use the "Contact Us" link below and we'll help you get registered.

Mobile forum app alternatives...

There are a few alternatives when looking at a mobile app to run on this forum. Basically it comes down to who pays for the app; the users, or the forum.

The Tapatalk app is free to set up for the forum, but there is a cost to each user. How much is determined by the Phone OS.

The software company that makes this forum has just recently release a mobile version. The licensing is free to the users, but the forum pays for licensing.

I know that there was some push back from the users on another forum when a mobile app was installed that users had to pay for. I'm inclined to install an app that is free to the users, and cover the cost with the advertisers that we now have.

I don't know if there would be compatability issues if we ran both at the same time. Again, I'm thinking that, for the sake of simplicity, maintenance and potential compatability issues, I'd rather run one or the other.

I'll continue to do more research into both products and report back feedback from other folks running both products.

I will say that the above are MY opinions and certainly aren't written in stone, so we welcome your input as well. If you have experience with Tapatalk, let's hear about it. What features do you like, and what others not so much?

However, I agree with your wish to keep it simple for the users. Also, I would read functionality reviews on all products being considered to make sure you don't choose a substandard package. For some reason, you will feel the heat from users if it doesn't work right - not the app publisher. Strange world, huh?

I'm never that far away from a computer that I have to surf the net and answer forums from my phone. It's not the easiest thing on any phone, let alone a Crackberry. Frankly I don't see all the bruhah about having the ability to do everything but wipe your butt with phones these days. Maybe I'm a cranky old guy (at 42), but sometimes I long for the days when you had to use a payphone. It's like Netflix and all the other pay services people think they HAVE to have. Add up how much you pay for cell service, DVD movie plan, your 300 plus TV channels, etc. and you'll find out where all your extra money has been going...

I guess what I'm trying to say is pick whatever you want, I won't be using it. I've got exactly two apps on my phone: Google maps, and one of those QR code readers (which sucks).

Can we resurrect this topic? The landscape, pricing and options have changed quite a bit since 2011 and personally the availability of Tapatalk support pushes me toward the “other” forum as most of the forums I am active on support it.

Perhaps I should clarify the appeal of Tapatalk (and admitted drawback).

1. Tapatalk is free for both the board and the user. It is a plug-in that gets installed on the board and then there is a client side app.
2. Tapatalk allows many forums to be combined into a single feed. I.e. All topics/threads that are followed and all PMs across many sites show up under a single list. In my case, I follow 22 different forums and am usually active on several at a time depending on my current interests, projects, etc.
3. The Tapatalk interface is optimized for a small mobile device, making browsing, reading and replying easy
4. Non-tapatalk forums require users to access them one at a time. In my case, this extra step simply means I don't visit these very often.
5. The biggest drawback to Tapatalk is ads (I think). The reason it is all free is so they can provide their own ads to the users. I don't fully know how this works and it may be in conflict with how ads normally work on most forums.

In short, yes, you can easily access this forum directly from a mobile device. It is just not convenient compared to those accessible via Tapatalk. I may very well be alone in this request, but considering I see this topic/request on nearly any forum I browse, I doubt it.